Chocolate & Charity

William "Bill" Iten was born on March 4, 1926 in Clinton, Iowa. His grandfather, Frank Iten, was the founder of the Iten Biscuit Company, which was later bought by Nabisco. Both Bill's father and grandfather were philanthropists in their hometown. The community-minded family donated money to the local school, YMCA, and many other community organizations. Because of their charity, Clinton High School's football field was named in the Iten's honor.

Bill graduated Cum Laude from Lake Forest Academy. After graduation he went on to Northwestern University. Bill then went to work in the printing field for many years. After years of working and serving in the community he was inducted as a lifetime member of the Chamber of Commerce in 1956.

Helen Iten was born in Louisa County, IA on September 9, 1923. Her parents were very active in the family church in Wapello. After graduating Wapello High School, Helen went into the banking field, which is how she met Bill and they started their life together.

They were married in July of 1977 and the couple split their residence time between Davenport, IA and Minocqua, WI. Helen enjoyed many hobbies, but her favorite was flying. She was a member of the 99 Pilots society along with her two sons. Helen was also a wonderful chocolate maker and "Helen's Hand-Dipped Chocolates" were famous to all who knew her.

The Itens retired to Naples, FL but still made their summer home in Minocqua. Both Helen and Bill enjoyed traveling very much. The Itens passed along their charitable spirit by modeling giving to their many great-grandchildren.

In order to ensure a continuation of their philanthropic spirit, in 2001 Bill and Helen worked with Quad Cities Community Foundation to set up a Charitable Remainder Trust. This trust paid them in quarterly distributions for their joint lifetimes and then to the survivor of them. Bill passed away in 2008, and Helen in 2012.

After their lifetimes, the remainder of the trust established the Bill and Helen Iten Family Endowment. This fund makes annual distributions to the Community Foundation's Community Impact Fund to help meet the community's highest priority needs. It also makes annual distributions to charities located in Naples and other communities where the Itens lived. The Itens wanted to ensure that the important work of these nonprofit organizations would receive their support in perpetuity.

Because of Bill and Helen's foresight and commitment to the communities in which they lived, their fund continues to support multiple causes that mattered to them during their lifetime.